Artist: Fratellis, The
Label: Universal Music Group
Release: 2006
The Fratellis is a Scottish trio of Fratelli brothers (or maybe not, since the guys cunningly pulled the old Ramones trick and spiced it up with a fun Spielberg movie?), and they stand way apart from the Brit sound that’s so popular today and has even been run into the ground in the US. Their debut Costello Music was eagerly awaited thanks to the promising little EPs, and after repeated listens – deservedly so!
A record that doesn’t let you breathe, because something is always going on. A record where the guys serve up an explosive blend of ska and rock right in the opener Henrietta, in Flathead the effective instrumental breaks really shake the song up, and Whistle For The Choir does start out acoustic, but if nothing else, the cheeky lyrics and fun whistling will win you over.
Chelsea Dagger kicks off with a virtuoso bass intro and carries on in a way that makes you feel like you’re listening to a pop cover of Motorhead, which later morphs into a rhythmically driven ska party. Simple? Simple! But it burns!!!
For The Girl continues in a similar vein to its predecessor, except the bass guitar is swapped for a dirty guitar riff, Doginabag will win you over with its splendid guitar breaks, Creepin Up The Backstairs starts off with – drums! Then comes the guitar, and the delivery swings between poetic recitation and punk-style raving. Vince The Loveable Stoner, believe it or not, starts out country-style and goes on to be very dynamic and heartfelt, Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night is also pretty ska-tinged, and Baby Fratelli kicks off with a slightly tweaked Smells Like Teen Spirit riff (which comes from More Than a Feeling anyway) and recalls The Pogues through the chorus, and it sticks in your memory thanks to a wound-up guitar solo, on Got Ma Nuts From A Hippy the tempo dips a bit because of the organ and acoustic guitar, but the closing Ole Black’n’Blue Eyes will cheer you up with its ska dynamics and an excellent opening combo of guitars and brass section.
Maybe The Fratellis will turn out to be just a flash in the pan too, but my gut feeling is that they might be exactly the ones to throw a wrench into the popular Brit sound made by Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, Keane (yes, pretty different artists, but similarly popular) and the rest. They’re just different, more varied and playful. But I said the same thing about the debuts of the bands listed above, and I stopped listening to them after six months, when it felt like every new British act sounded the same. For The Fratellis, it will hold true at least that they were the first who dared to be different, and who succeeded precisely because of their convincing, sincere difference.
Lineup
John Lawler aka Jon Fratelli – vocals, guitar
Barry Wallace aka Barry Fratelli – bass guitar
Gordon McRory aka Mince Fratelli – drums, backing vocals, guitar, banjo
Production
Tony Hoffer
Track List
1. Henrietta
2. Flathead
3. Cuntry Boys And City Girls
4. Whistle For The Choir
5. Chelsea Dagger
6. For The Girl
7. Doginabag
8. Creepin’ Up The Backstairs
9. Vince The Loveable Stoner
10. Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night
11. Baby Fratelli
12. Got Ma Nuts From A Hippy
13. Ole Black ‘n’ Blue Eyes
Album length: 44:16
